About IUCN

IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.

Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,500 Member organisations and around 19,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.

IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.

Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.

Competitive tendering

For all contracts above CHF 25,000, contractors are selected through a formal competitive process unless an exception from competition is justified and formally granted.

For any competitive procurement with an estimated value of CHF 200,000 or higher, the opportunity to submit a Proposal is open to all eligible Suppliers. All such opportunities are advertised on this webpage.

The exact process for taking part and submitting a Proposal varies from case to case. The relevant information is included in each published Request for Proposals. The competitive process is rigorous and designed to determine the best combination of quality and costs. We ensure that all potential suppliers are subject to the same conditions and that information received is confidential. In addition, we stipulate that our suppliers:

• adhere to sound environmental practices;
• maintain ethical business practices at all times;
• are not involved in any form of corruption or any fraudulent activities;
• do not engage in any collusive or coercive practices.

IUCN seeks to minimise environmental impacts in all its procurement decisions. Suppliers and Proposals are evaluated on the basis of both environmental and commercial factors, determined as appropriate for each individual purchase, and including: capacity and expertise; whole-life-cost; quality; fit to requirements; environmental policy, impact and risk management approach; financial health of the Supplier; previous experience and reputation.

Proposals are evaluated using a variety of criteria clearly detailed in each Request for Proposals (RfP). Only the criteria and their relative importance as stated in the RfP will be used to evaluate Proposals.

For more information, please check our Procurement Policy using the above button.

Exclusion criteria

Suppliers will be excluded from taking part in a procurement procedure if they or persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control over them:

1. have a conflict of interests, real or perceived, that may affect, or may be perceived to affect, them in the execution of their responsibilities under the proposed contract;
2. are not registered on the professional or trade register of the State in which they are established;
3. have been convicted of failing to comply with environmental regulatory requirements or other legal requirements relating to sustainability and environmental protection;
4. are bankrupt or being wound up, are having their affairs administered by the courts, have entered into an arrangement with creditors, have suspended business activities, are the subject of proceedings concerning those matters, or are in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations;
5. have been convicted of an offence concerning their professional conduct by a judgment of a competent authority which has the force of res judicata;
6. have been guilty of grave professional misconduct;
7. are not in compliance with their obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions or the payment of taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in which they are established or with those of Switzerland or those of the country where the contract is to be performed;
8. have been the subject of a judgment which has the force of res judicata for fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organisation, money laundering or any other illegal activity.

Complaints procedure

The contact details and processes for communicating as part of a tender are detailed in each respective Request for Proposals. These must be followed in the first instance. Attempts at communicating with IUCN in regard to an ongoing competitive process in any way other than as prescribed in the RfP may lead to the disqualification of the Proposal/Bidder.

If you have a complaint or concern regarding the propriety of how a competitive process has been executed, you will be able to submit a challenge to the selection outcome through this portal. Any such challenge will be treated as confidential.